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05/14/2008 11:30 PM ET
Cubs sign outfielder Jim Edmonds to 2008 contract
Option outfielder Felix Pie to Triple-A Iowa
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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs today signed outfielder Jim Edmonds to a 2008 contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. To make room for Edmonds on the 25-man roster, outfielder Felix Pie was optioned to Triple-A Iowa after tonight's game.
Edmonds will wear uniform No. 15 and will be available for tomorrow's 1:20 p.m. CT game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field. Chicago's 40-man roster now stands at 39.
Edmonds is a four-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner during his 16 Major League seasons with the Angels (1993-99), Cardinals (2000-07) and Padres (2008). The 37-year-old outfielder has appeared in the postseason six times, advancing to the World Series in 2004 and 2006. In 2004, Edmonds won a National League Silver Slugger Award after batting .301 (150-for-498) with 42 homers and 111 RBIs.
The left-handed batter and thrower owns a career .286 batting average with 397 doubles, 363 home runs and 1,127 RBIs in 1,840 Major League games, including 1,639 games as a center fielder. Edmonds boasts a .989 career fielding percentage in center field, the fifth-best mark among active players (minimum 1,000 games in center field). His 125 assists in his career rank second among all active outfielders behind only Ken Griffey, Jr. (148).
Edmonds joins the Cubs leading all active center fielders with a .377 career on-base percentage, ranking second with a .526 slugging percentage and third in hits (1,817), home runs and doubles.
The Fullerton, Calif., native was traded to San Diego from St. Louis on December 15, 2007, but began the 2008 season on the disabled list recovering from a right calf strain. Activated April 5, he batted .178 (16-for-90) with one home run and six RBIs in 26 games before being released on May 9. Edmonds joins the Cubs having batted .278 (5-for-18) with a .381 on-base percentage in six games in May after batting .153 (11-for-72) with a .235 on-base percentage in 20 games in April.
Edmonds boasts 10 seasons with 20 or more home runs and four seasons with 100 or more RBIs, including his career-bests in 2004 that led to his Silver Slugger Award. He has been slowed by injuries the last three seasons, including post-concussion syndrome and injuries to his right shoulder, lower back and groin in 2006-07 and the right calf strain at the start of the 2008 season. Nevertheless, Edmonds averaged 123 games played per season between 2005-07 with an average of 20 home runs and 71 RBIs per campaign.
Pie had been with the Cubs since Opening Day and is batting .222 (14-for-63) with one home run and seven RBIs in 30 games for the Cubs this season.
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